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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mark — a trace
  4. race — humankind
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. game — a match
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. swing — music
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a friend
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. race — a contest
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com